Synopsis

POL1000 examines the relationships between government, business and society, and in particular, the political power and political role of business. It looks at the social impact of business, corporate social responsibility and the problems of sustainability and ethical behaviour. We examine the ways government attempts to both promote and regulate business. Another theme of the course is political mobilisation; by business to influence government, against business by trade unions and social movements, and the contest for political power that takes place at elections. A core aim of the subject is to equip business and other students with a stronger understanding of the conflicting attitudes that both society and government have towards business. POL1000 does not assume prior knowledge of politics or business.

Objectives

On successful completion of this course students should be able to:

demonstrate an understanding of the political dimension to business

demonstrate an understanding of the different ways government, business and society interact

demonstrate critical thinking and ethical research skills

demonstrate good academic writing skills

demonstrate an ability to engage constructively with other students on political ideas and realities.

Topics

Description

Weighting(%)

1.

Politics and government

30.00

2.

Government support for business and citizens

15.00

3.

Government regulation of business

15.00

4.

The involvement of business in politics and social issues

20.00

5.

Community action to influence business and government

20.00

Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed

ALL textbooks and materials available to be purchased can be sourced from USQ's Online Bookshop (unless otherwise stated). (https://bookshop.usq.edu.au/bookweb/subject.cgi?year=2011&sem=01&subject1=POL1000)

Reference materials

Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.

Student workload requirements

Activity

Hours

Assessments

82.00

Directed Study

83.00

Assessment details

Description

Marks out of

Wtg (%)

Due Date

Objectives assessed

Graduate skill

Level assessed

Notes

ASSESSMENT 1

100

15

21 Mar 2011

3,4

U1,U3,U4

1,1,1

ASSESSMENT 2

100

15

18 Apr 2011

3,4

U3,U4

1,1

ASSESSMENT 3

100

25

23 May 2011

1,2,3,4

U1,U3,U4

1,1,1

PARTICIPATION

15

15

06 Jun 2011

5

U5

1

(see note 1)

2-HOUR EXAMINATION

30

30

End S1

1,2,3

U1,U3,U10

1,1,1

(see note 2)

NOTES

Details of participation assessment will be provided in the course materials. Postings made to StudyDesk after 6 June 2011 will not be assessed.

The examination is scheduled to be held in the end-of-semester examination period. Students will be advised of the official examination date after the timetable has been finalised. The questions in the examination will be posted on StudyDesk about a week before the examination to enable students to prepare good quality answers.

Graduate qualities and skills

Elements of the following USQ Graduate Skills are associated with the sucessful completion of this course.

Ethical research and enquiry (U1)

Introductory (Level 1)

Sustainable practice (U10)

Introductory (Level 1)

Academic, professional and digital literacy (U3)

Introductory (Level 1)

Written and oral communication (U4)

Introductory (Level 1)

Interpersonal skills (U5)

Introductory (Level 1)

Important assessment information

Attendance requirements:
If you are an international student in Australia, you are advised to attend all classes at your campus. For all other students, there are no attendance requirements for this course. However, it is the students' responsibility to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.

Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks. (Depending upon the requirements in Statement 4 below, students may not have to satisfactorily complete each assessment item to receive a passing grade in this course.)

Penalties for late submission of required work:
If students submit assignments after the due date without prior approval of the examiner, then a penalty of 2% of the total marks gained by the student for the assignment may apply for each working day late. Late marks will not be applied once the assignment's mark drops to 50%.

Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.

Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.

Examination information:
This is a restricted examination. The only materials that candidates may use in the restricted examination for this course are: writing materials (non-electronic and free from material which could give the student an unfair advantage in the examination) and an appropriate unmarked non-electronic translation dictionary. Dictionaries with any handwritten notes will not be permitted. Translation dictionaries will be subject to perusal and may be removed from the candidate's possession until appropriate disciplinary action is completed if found to contain material that could give the candidate an unfair advantage.

Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
Any Deferred or Supplementary examinations for this course will be held during the next examination period.

Assessment notes

Assignments: (i) The due date for an assignment is the date by which a student must despatch the assignment to the USQ. The onus is on the student to provide proof of the despatch date, if requested by the examiner. (ii) Students must retain a copy of each assignment submitted for assessment. This must be produced within 24 hours if required by the examiner. (iii) In accordance with university policy, the examiner may grant an extension of the due date of an assignment in extenuating circumstances. (iv) The examiner will normally only accept assignments which are electronically submitted through the USQ Study Desk for this course. Students who are unable to meet this submission requirement should contact the examiner of the course to negotiate alternative arrangements. (v) In the event that a due date for an assignment falls on a local public holiday in their area, such as a show holiday, the due date for the assignment will be the next day. Students are to note on the assignment cover the date of the public holiday for the examiner's convenience. (vi) No assignment will be considered submitted until it has been submitted to the university’s plagiarism-checking service, ‘Turnitin’ at <www.turnitin.com>. Where necessary, staff will assist students to do this.

Course weightings: Course weightings of topics should not be interpreted as applying to the number of marks to questions testing those topics in an examination paper.

Referencing in assignments: Harvard (AGPS) is the referencing system required in this course. Students should use Harvard (AGPS) style in their assignments to format details of the information sources they have cited in their work. The Harvard (AGPS) style to be used is defined by the USQ Library's referencing guide at <http://www.usq.edu.au/library/help/referencing/default.htm>.

Deferred work: Students who, for medical, family/personal, or employment-related reasons, are unable to complete an assignment or to sit for an examination at the scheduled time may apply to defer an assessment in a course. Such a request MUST be accompanied by appropriate supporting documentation. One of the following temporary grades may be awarded: IDS (Incomplete - Deferred Examination); IDM (Incomplete Deferred Make-up); IDB (Incomplete - Both Deferred Examination and Deferred Make-up).